Trick automobile



TRI CK AUTOMOBILE FiledMaJjch 1927 s Sheets-Sheet 1 IN V EN TOR.

A TTORNEY Sept. 4, 1928.

J. D. MOHR TRICK AUTOMOBILE Filed March 1927 a Sheets-Sheet v2 i v m\\ INVENTQR. 5m 19. MM BY g I ATTORNEY Sept. 4, 1928. 1,682,764 J. D. MOHR TRI CK AUTOMOBILE Fi'led March 1927 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 ATTORNEY which a control of the shifting weight.

Patented Sept. 4, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN D. MOHR, or miwan-x, Nnwannsnv, j

TRICK AUTOMOBILE.

This invention relates to vehicles of the motor driven, wheeledtype providedwith steering means andequipped with the usual devices throughout. i i a It is the main purpose of the present invention to produce an advertising car certain to ajttract attention by reason of; its

peculiar action which consists ofi an ability to raise its: forward Wheels completely off the, ground surface, in the manner of a bucking horse, and stillcontinue to travel, in either direction, under the control of its operator.

This purpose is attainedby the use of shift-able weight, causing the vehiclexbody to pivot on its rear axle, a fifth wheel, at the rear, carrying a proportion of the, weight when shifted, the single central re'arwheel, at that time, acting in place of the raised front wheels, to direct the car, the same being guided by the operator, as well as the A further feature is the provision of ample surfaces, eitherinclined or vertical, to carry anydesired advertisement man attractive manner. i i i a .1

These objects are accomplished by the novel design, construction and arrangement of parts hreina-fter described and illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, constituting a material partof this disclosure, and in Figure 1 is aside elevational view of a vehicle embodying the inventiomwthe same being shown in the normal position;

Figure 2 is a similar viewof the same but shown in a tilted position with the front wheels raised from the surface.

Figurefi isa longitudinal sectional view of the body of thewehicle, illustrating the main elements for controlling"theinclinable features of the vehicle and drawn to an en lare'ed scale. a i i L i Figure 4 is a plan View of the same. a

Figure 5 is a rear end View of thelvehicle;

Figure G is a fragmentary detail view of l l the steering means,parts being in section. e 1

plction of its forward movements. s The vehicle illustrated is that of a conxrcntional automobile type, consistinglof a common. chassis frameIlO mountedon a rear hula ji'thaain a; driving Wlliihlfilid driuen in which is a platform 28, bolted to a transversebeam; 24: andon its u Application filed. March 5 1927. Serial No. 172,381.

wheel 11, adjacent the wall 19 forming partmentQO, the being part of the drivers comsame having a roof and a motor indicated drivcrs seat18, the same being arranged n front of-a partition provided with windows invthe manner of a truck, the; partition having an opening 1 21 through which itherear portion=of the vehicle maybe seen: i

Carried bythe chassis, rearward of the compartment .20 is a rigid: frame/22, extending" outwardly pasttherear axle 11, on

per surface is a fixedweight 46, bolted toplatform 23 and beam 24.

its rear edge being 1 Supported by sidewmembers 26,

from the platform 23, are twocover plates 27 converging attheir uppersedges in the manner of a pitched roof, the apexofiwhich is somwhat higher than theptop ofthe drivers caboose 20, the lower edgesof these plates extendingoutwardly just beyond the platform over the full length of which they extend f A fifth wheel 28, preferablyof lesser diameter than the wheels ofvthe vehicle, is positioned centrally at the rear between the forksof a clevis 29 the stem 30 of which is journalledin platform 23, extending into fixed weiirhtftG, to swivel in a vertical plane: A pair-of opposed-warms 31 on the sidesof the clevis have. engaged at their ends cables 32 in which may be set turnbuckles 33 to adjust their tension, the forward 1 portion ofthe icables passing belowthe platform 23, through, openings; in the partition 19, overguide pulleys 34 and under similar pulleys 35, whereythe cables are joined to the ends ofa chain 36. r3 M v as ,The blight of this chainistrainedaround a sprocket 37, mounted to "freely rotate on the steering the sprocket is aivdisc 38ikeyed tothevpost, j The disc contains an openingfiQ regisw trable with a similar, opening in the1 web of post 16, see, Figure 6, and above the, sprocket and engageable in these. openings is the offset portion of a coupling rod 40, :guided in a bearing tl icarried by' the post. a i

1 Thenpper end of rod dilisconnected a hinge pin 42 to a tar v43 guided have clip 44 fixed on the "post- 16 and provided with ah aetuatin handle 45, adjacent the hand wheel 17, by which the coupling rod may be caused to connect the sprocket to the post so that the rear wheel 28 may swivelled, and it is to be noted that in order to direct the vehicle, by the rear wheel, using the hand-wheel 17 in th'esame manner as when steering the front wheels, the cables must be crossed as indicated best in Figure 4.

Carried on the platform, rearward of the rear axle, is a heavy fixed weight 46 acting as a partialcounter-poise for the weight of the motor and that part of the vehicle in front of the rear axle.

A ir of spaced longitudinal rails 47, here s own as rolled angles, are raised from the platform by a bloc 48, in advance of the rear axle, the front extremities 49 of the rails being upturned, and movable on the track thus formed are pairs of grooved wheels so fixed in the side edges of a shiftable poise filynorinally drawn to the front as far as possible, its weight when in that position being directly over the rear axle.

Fined in the front end of the weight 51 is an e. e 5% in 'which is secured one end of a ca le 53 coiledon 'a spool 54 mounted rotation and having fixed to it a gear 55 in mesh with a pinion 56 driven through the instrumentality of a Bendix 't pe of yielding frictional drive '57 at the en of an electric motor 58.

Aisccfixcd to'the spool 'is a ratchet wheel 59 normally' enfied by a pawl 60 to which is attached a c '61 running over a ulley 62 through the caboose 20 to be accessi ileby the driver when it is desired to free the weight 51 by releasing the drum from the motor cause thebody of the vehicle to tilt on the rear axle, at which time thew'heel 28 makes contact with the surface and the front wheels 15 rise as shown in Figure 2', thiseflect occurring due "to the preponderante of weight rearward of the rear wheel axle. a a

Ashasbeen described; when the vehicle is in a tilted "position, it is steered and controlled in the same mannerand by use of the samedevices as when ina level plane.

JThe electric motor 58 may be driven by current from any self contained source, the same beingeontablled by a knife switch 63, its lever'elemeiltM bemgdrawn into en gagement by a tension-spring "65 and its upper rear reaching end 66 being disposed inthe path ioifthe weight 51 so that as it is drawn forward tea predetermined position,

the switch will dpen andcurrent to the mo} tor cease, t a l From-the it will be "apparent that due to the peculiarities of behavior of the vehicleit is certain to attract attention and-thus present any advertising matter disposed on the plates 27 in an advantageous manner.

The foregoing disclosure is to be regarded as descriptive and illustrative only, and not as restrictive or limitative of the invention. of which obviously an embodiment may be constructed including many modifications without'departing from the general scope herein indicated and denoted in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as "new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A self propelled four wheeled vehicle havin a rear axle, a platform, a dirigible fifth wheel 'pivotally carried centrally at the rear of said platform on a horizontal axis, ing said weight to cause the vehicle to tilt upon the rear axle whereby said fifth wheel is brought into contact with the surface and the forward wheels cleared therefrom.

a shifta'ble weight, and means for mov- 2. A self propelled four wheeled vehicle having a rear axle, a platformp a dirigible fifth wheel pivotally carried centrally at the rear of said platform to rotate on a horizontal axis, a weight on said platform movable by gravity to cause the vehicle to tilt until said fifth wheel is in contact with the surface, and power means to shift said weight to restore 'thevehicle to its normal position;

3. A self propelled four wheeled vehicle having a rear axle,ra platform, a fifth wheel carried centrally at the rear of said platform, a weight on said platform movable by grew ity to cause the vehicle to tilt until said fifth wheel is in contact with the surface, motor driven means to shift said weight forwardly, a switch controlling the motor, and means actuated by said weight to 0 en the switch when the weight reaches its orward position.

4. A self propelled vehicle having a rear axle provided with driving wheels and a front axle provided with dirigible wheels, a steering means for said dirigible wheels, abody extending past said rear axle, a fifth wheel at the end of said bod normally raised from the surface, controll able means for tilting said body whereby said fifth wheel is brought into contact with the surface and said dirigible wheels raised therefrom and operative connections "from said steering means tojthe fifth wheel whereby the vehicle may be directed.

5. A self propelled vehicle having a rear axle. provided with driving wheels and a front axle provided with dirigible wheels, a steering means for said dirigible wheels, a body extending past said rear axle, a fifth wheel at the end of said body normally raised from the surface, a stationary Weight on the outer portion of said body. an inchned trackway on said bodyya sbiftable weight on said track-way to tilt the body on its rear axle when in one position and to retain it normal when in another position, means to move the weight on said track-way, means to retain the weight when in normal position, and a release device perinitting the descent of said weight.

6. A self propelled wheeled vehicle having a pair of driving wheels, a pair of dirigible front wheels, a dirigible trailer wheel normally in a raised plane relative to the other wheels, means for shifting the center of gravity of the vehicle from one side to the other of the rear wheels whereby either the front wheels or the trailer wheel is brought into contact with a surface, and a single steering means forthe front Wheels and said trailer wheel.

7. A self propelled wheeled vehicle having a pair of driving wheels, a pair of dirigible front wheels, a dirigible trailer wheel normally held in a raised plane relative to the other wheels, controllable means for inclining the vehicle on the axis of the driving wheels whereby the front wheels or the trailer wheel may be brought selectively into operative position on the surface, means for steering the front Wheels, and means associated therewith for steering said trailer wheel. a

8. The combination with an automobile having flat unbroken sides, of a platform extending over its rear portion a fixed weight carried on said platform rearward of the rear wheels, a track-way on said platform inclined downwardly at the rear, a counter-poise movable on said track-way, means for drawing said counter-poise upwardly on said track-way, means to retain said counter-poise when raised, and a releasing device for the counter-poise, said counter-poise controlling the normal or abnormal position of the automobile.

9. The combination with an automobile.

February, 1927.

JOHN D. MOI-IR. 

